Brian Burke: Stunned, but he'll stay in Toronto and work for Leafs

Brian Burke sat down Friday with the Toronto Star to share his feelings after his firing 48 hours earlier. He was as shocked as many hockey observers were.

“I was floored, and I still am stunned. I’ve never been fired before,” he said about Wednesday’s announcement. “How am I doing? I’m doing okay."

Burke isn't playing the sad sack. The article notes he was walking about with no sunglasses or hat and was dressed in a Providence College sweatshirt -- his alma mater.

He also says he isn't going anywhere, except maybe to the New England Patriots playoff game against Houston this weekend. But he's planning to stay in Toronto -- and get to work as a senior adviser.

“I think I can help,” he said. “I’ve been at this for a while. I have my name on the Stanley Cup. I’ll do whatever I can.”

But as interesting as his firing were the days after, as Deadspin notes from reading the interview, and enjoy the Canadian spellings:

This was his second visit to his favourite Starbucks of the morning — he was up at 4:30 a.m. to work out, then out for his first coffee at 5:30 a.m. — and came after a neighbour had pointed out to him that the back window of one of his cars had been smashed in.

“I don’t know if it was a disgruntled fan or not,” he said in his first interview since being dismissed. “But they didn’t steal anything.”

If the double dose of coffee wasn't enough of a treat, Burke took in a matinee showing of "Jack Reacher." Said Burke: "First time in my life I’ve ever been to a midweek matinee. First time I’ve ever gone to a movie alone."